Big Country star found dead

LONDON, England --Stuart Adamson, lead singer of 1980s pop group Big Country, has been found dead in Hawaii in what authorities are reportedly calling an apparent suicide.

Adamson was positively identified through fingerprints, The Associated Press reported. The Honolulu medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy that reportedly determined the cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, AP reported.

Ian Grant, Adamson's manager, confirmed the body of the 43-year-old was discovered in a hotel on Sunday.

"He was a great guy and, I know there will be a lot of people
will feel the same way," Grant said.

Adamson, who had been living in Nashville, Tennessee, went missing several weeks ago.

A statement on the Web site of Grant's record label, Track Records, said: "I cannot believe I am sitting at my desk typing this. Stuart Adamson was found dead in a hotel room in Hawaii yesterday. I have no more news other than that at present. I ask the media to leave his family alone in their grief. My heart goes out to his family, Bruce, Mark and Tony."

The statement added: "I have just lost one of the finest people I have ever worked with or been lucky enough to know."

Big Country split last year and Adamson went on to form another group, The Raphaels.

He had lived in Nashville for the past five years and was married.

Adamson, born in Manchester, England, grew up in Crossgates near Dunfermline, Fife, and formed the punk group The Skids in the 1970s.

He went on to form Big Country, which had a string of hits during the 1980s as well as eight successful albums.